


Coffee, Tea or Me?

by Jenny_Starseed



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: M/M, Pining, Victor being silly, Yuuri is oblivious, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2018-01-09
Packaged: 2018-12-20 15:08:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11923482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jenny_Starseed/pseuds/Jenny_Starseed
Summary: "You've never been rejected before, have you?" asked Chris.Victor tries very hard to get a date with Yuuri.





	1. Chapter 1

 "Hello.  Welcome to Victor's Cafe.  What can I get for you?"

Chris rolled his eyes at Victor.  Victor ignores it and turns his goofy smile on his first unsuspecting customer. 

"Large regular coffee," said a bleary-eyed girl.  Her hair was tied in a messy ponytail and her gloves were mismatched. 

Victor turned to Chris, expectantly.  Chris sighed and filled a large cup with coffee and set it in front of the customer. 

"Next!"

And so it went on.  Chris made all the drinks while Victor smiled at every frazzled, caffeine deficient customer.  Chris wondered how it was humanly possible to be so chipper at 7am. Victor took the money.  Chris made all the drinks.  On and on it went for 3 hours.  The stream of customers slowed to a trickle around 2pm. 

"Wow!  Can you believe it?” exclaimed Victor.  He stretched out his hands above his head, like he was stretching after a very strenuous workout.   “My first day working in my own coffee shop.  I think I could get used to this!"

Chris frowned at the milk in the metal pitcher.  Was it non-dairy or dairy? Why isn't it labelled? Some customers can be tetchy about this.  It was hard to tell when you had to keep track of 10 drinks at once, with no help from the smiling owner who was only playing at being an employee.  It was like the show undercover boss, except his boss wasn't undercover and he fully intends this to be his full-time job. 

"You know this shop isn't called Victor's café.  It's a Cuppa Café.  You know, one of the many Cuppa Café locations owned by your father."

"But it's so boring.  They all belong to my father, but this one is the one my father gave to me.  I should call it whatever I like."

Chris leaned against the counter.  Victor’s shoes looked shiny and brand new.  His hair was perfectly in place and his soft hands had never been burned by hot water.  This man was utterly clueless and sheltered. 

“You’ve never had a real job, have you?” asked Chris, which sounded more flirtatious than he wanted.  Chris blamed this on the fact that sheltered airhead or not, Victor was kinda hot. 

Victor bent over to gather up the ends of the garbage bag that he pulled from beneath the counter, giving Chris an excellent view of his tight ass.  Scratch that, Victor was very hot.

“What does that matter?” said Victor, getting up to lift the bag out of the container.  “I have a new career.  A new lease on life.  I don't need my father's money or his silly boardroom position at the company.  I'm perfectly happy to run my own coffee shop."

“Hmm…have you’ve managed to study the drinks chart yet?  Annabelle won’t let you get away with it tomorrow morning.”  Annabelle was Victor’s unofficial supervisor with a direct line to Victor’s father’s cell number.   If Victor messed up his first week here, Victor would be fired. 

Victor turned on his hundred-watt smile on Chris.  “More or less.  Don’t worry, I will study it on my break and I promise I will be more help.”

Chris knew he should be more annoyed with Victor than he is.  But Chris can’t help it.  Like everyone else in the café, he’s a little in love with Victor already. 

* * *

 

Scratch that.  Not everyone was in love with Victor as the girl with the impressive glare can attest.  She asked for a secret menu item that Victor had no way in hell knew how to make.  It involved a mix of toffee and caramel flavour shots (“I thought toffee and caramel were interchangeable,” Victor later whined), cinnamon crackle sugar bits and steamed whole milk.  Chris took over and gave the girl his own best charming smile when he slid the drink over to her. 

The coffee shop was near the Detroit University campus.  Which meant most of the clientele were students.  They ordered their coffee, parked themselves on one of the many tables and studied for hours on end.  The evenings had a calmness as Chris watched over the many bent heads in the coffee shop with their text books and laptops spread out and their two-hour old cold coffee by their elbow.

It was on this evening, a non-descript bespectacled Asian student walked in.  He had one of those masks you see nurses and doctors wear on.  His tan coloured coat seemed to engulf him.  His knapsack seemed to weigh him down, like he could topple backwards if he put enough weight on his heels.

"Welcome to Victor's Cafe," greeted Victor, turning on his hundred-watt smile on the poor unsuspecting student.  Victor tend to have an affect on people.  Much like the caught-off guard, deer in headlights look this guy was currently sporting. 

"What would you like to drink?"

"Um, coffee?"  He squinted at the menu for a moment, looking a little panicked.  "Just regular coffee."

"Colombian, house blend, carameletto, dark roast, light roast--“ Victor rattled off with increasing speed.  Chris watched the poor guy’s eyes widened.

“House blend.” 

“Sure thing.  What size?"

"Large."

Chris fetched the coffee while Victor gave the customer his change. 

"Have a nice day," said Victor, his bright smile never leaving his face.  Chris wondered if Victor's mouth ever felt sore from smiling that much.  The guy mumbled a thanks and sat at the nearest table in front of the counter, within Victor's sightline for the whole evening.  He watched the guy take off his large tan coat, his hat and blue scarf.  The guy wasn't half bad looking in his large black sweater, blue rimmed glasses and messy hair.  But that didn’t explain why Victor eyes kept flicking over to the guy, hoping no one would notice the furtive looks him while pretending to study the drinks chart.  Chris didn't think anything of it for the rest of the evening. 

* * *

 

Chris liked closing up the store.  He was usually left alone to do this usual routine but not today with Victor sitting at one of the tables near the baked goods display case.  His chin on his hands and his hair elegantly draped across his forehead.    

"Chris, what do you think of that customer that was sitting in front of us all night last night?"

"The guy in the tan coat?" 

"Yes, him."

Chris shrugged.  "He was very polite.  Very tired and distracted looking.  Like 90% of our student customers."

"But he had very nice brown eyes.  Don't you think he was cute?"

"He has potential but he’s lacking in something.  I like my men with a bit of je ne sais quoi.  Usually hot abs and a square jaw."

Victor put his finger to his lips, contemplating.  "Yes, yes.  I like those men too.  They're fun for a little bit but it's like empty calories.  After a while, they're not very fun anymore.  This one with the glasses has a hidden beauty about him.  I noticed it while we were working."

Chris mopped up the last bit of salt stains on the floor by the door.  “I’m sure his inner beauty was all you were looking for.  Personally, I find it hard to fall in lust with a man who wears so many generic layers of clothing.”

“I wonder if he’ll still be here when the weather is warmer,” pondered Victor. 

"You mean after exams?  Who knows, maybe he'll have a girlfriend by then."

Victor mournfully put his hand over his heart. "Don't say that!"

"He has a very bland wholesome look.  I bet he’s the type where all his girlfriends have met his mother."

"You keep saying girlfriend but you don't know for sure."

“Ah, on chéri.  There’s only one way to find out.”

Victor tilted his head, curious.

“Ask him out,” said Chris, wondering how little Victor Nikiforov has had to work for anything.

* * *

 

It turns out, Victor isn’t used to working for anything.  At least not in the world of dating.  But bless his heart, he is willing to try.

"What's your name?" asked Victor, sharpie one hand, cup in the other.  Chris rolled his eyes.  Victor often needed reminding to ask for customer names, causing much confusion in the morning.  But he will this time at 8pm when there's no one behind the guy he's asking.  Glancing over from the espresso machine, he should have known.  It was Victor's current crush. 

The poor man mumbled something without looking at Victor.

"What was that again?"

"Yuuri," he said again.

Victor gave another hundred-watt smile.  Like he was absolutely delighted with the name.  "Yuuri!  One large regular house blend?"

"Um, yes."

Chris sensing what Victor was doing, took Yuuri's money.  Exact change this time. Sure enough, Chris spotted Victor's pristine neat hand-writing on the side of the of the eggshell blue cup. 

"Sugar and milk are on the other side.  Have a nice evening!" said Victor, winking at Yuuri. 

Yuuri hurried off to the far corner of the cafe by the window.  There he stayed until closing time, not looking up from his laptop and textbook.  By closing time, Yuuri was gone.  But he left the empty coffee cup on the table.  Victor picked up the cup and almost wailed in despair before tossing it in the garbage. 

The next day, Victor placed a heart shaped sugar cookie on a plate and headed towards Yuuri. 

"It's a complimentary cookie courtesy of the management," said Victor.

Yuuri had the same frozen look on his face.  "Thank you."

Victor smiled at him.  He had no idea what to say.  And Yuuri wasn't helping. 

"Do you go to school here?" asked Victor, it sounded lame to his ears.

Yuuri nodded. 

"What are you studying now?"

"Administration."

Victor glanced down.  "Business Administration Principles.  How exciting."

Yuuri averted his eyes to his textbook.  "It's ok."

"Do you like it?"

"It's ok."

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

Yuuri made a choking sound.  "No."

"Boyfriend?"

Yuuri's eyes shot up, panicked.  "Um, I think I have to go now.  I've got, uh. Things to do."

Yuuri packed up his books and left Victor there.  He shook his head and cleared the table and tossed the barely eaten cookie in the trash. 

* * *

 

Monday:

"Good evening Yuuri!  How was your day?"

"Fine."

 

Tuesday:

 "Good evening Yuuri!  Would you like to try our new flavour of the day?  It's on the house."

"I'll just have the house blend."

 

Wednesday:

"Good evening Yuuri!  I like your glasses." 

"Um, just coffee."

 

Thursday:

"Good evening Yuuri!  I like your hat."

"It was a gift."

 

Friday: 

"Good evening Yuuri!  Isn't it a wonderful night?" 

"It's ok"

* * *

 

Yuuri was a creature of habit.  From Monday to Friday, he arrived in the cafe at 7pm.  Sometimes 8pm.  Ordered a large house blend coffee. Paid with exact change and sat quietly in the corner for three hours studying.  He hunched over behind a fortified wall of text books, his laptop and an assortment of pens and highlighters by his elbow.  Never looking at anyone in the eye, he went on with his work with such concentrated intensity, woe be anyone that dared interrupt him.

And Victor would stand there and mope.  Eventually moping became boring.  He could be coaxed into work.  Cleaning the tables.  Replacing the syrup bottles.  Taking out the garbage.  Cleaning the toilets.  Victor could be serious when he wanted to.

"You've never been rejected before, have you?" asked Chris one night after closing time.

"It used to be so easy," said Victor.  "I smile a bit and give my phone number and viola!  A new beau in my bed."

Victor looked at himself.  His white starched shirt was stained with coffee.  The early mornings were difficult and he didn't get enough sleep at night.  His feet ached at night from all the standing and he hated his sensible black shoes. 

Chris thoughtfully tapped his chin.  "Maybe you come on too strong.  I've seduced men like Yuuri.  They need a gentle hand.  Make them think it's their idea that a date with you wouldn't be a bad one."

"And how would you do that?"

"Try to get to know him."

"I've tried!  I tried to talk to him.  But he puts on those headphones and it makes it impossible to approach him.  I feel like I'm bothering him."

"Or maybe try to be his friend instead of his lover. Surely a man like you know how to make friends."

“You’d be surprised,” said Victor, his shoulders hunched.  “I don’t know what to do, Chris.  I’ve tried everything.”

“Maybe wait it out?  He looks much too preoccupied with his work.  Finals are in two weeks.”

Victor perked up at that.  He laughed.  “You’re right.  Why didn’t I think of that before?”

It wasn’t about Victor.  Yuuri had other things on his mind.  Victor could wait.   Victor was becoming very good at waiting.


	2. Chapter 2

Exam finals was hell.  Victor has seen many students on the verge of nervous exhaustion.  Some had a dazed look on their face, not knowing where they were until they had their first dose of caffeine.  Some resigned themselves to giving up the pretense of studying, heading for the bar next door.  You can sometimes find them puking in the nearby alleyway after work.  Sometimes you’d get students like Yuuri, who clearly couldn’t hold his shit together if the sobbing sounds coming out of the handicapped washroom was anything to go by.

 

The table in the far corner of the café was left abandoned.  Yuuri’s laptop left open with balls of paper scattered around it.  Victor stood behind the cash register, frozen.  He looked at Chris, who shook his head.  Talking to them rarely did any good. 

 

When he emerged, he made a bee line for the counter. 

 

“A triple espresso, please,” mumbled Yuuri, his voice having a hollow, wavering quality of someone who just cried but is making a very tired, brave effort at composure.

 

Victor considered him for a moment.  His hair hung limp in flat clumps, obscuring his tired red-rimmed eyes.   He wore the same over-sized grey sweater that hung loosely on his shoulders.  His shoulders were hunched and he fingered his change nervously in his hand.  He could barely look at Victor in the eye as he made his request, like he was weighed down by some kind of unknown shame.  Eventually, he handed over the money to Victor.  The dollar seventy-five felt heavy in Victor’s palm, as he weighed his options of what to do. 

 

It was almost 10pm, an ungodly hour for a triple espresso.   That seemed to make Victor’s decision for him.  

 

“Yuuri, how about I get you some mint tea and we take a break?”

 

Yuuri shook his head.  “I have exams next week.  Please?  I-I just want something to help me study.”

 

It was more words than Yuuri had ever spoken to him in the whole month Victor has known him.  He nodded. 

 

By closing time, the espresso cup was untouched with Yuuri slumped beside it, dead to the world.  Victor didn’t have the heart to wake him until all the chairs were hung upside down on the table and the floors glistened with the damp sheen of mop water. 

 

It was already past midnight on a Saturday night.  Chris left half an hour ago, raising an eyebrow when he spied Yuuri slumped over the table, sleeping. 

 

“I hope you won’t be taking him home with you like a stray dog,” said Chris as he zipped up his coat.  “Unless that’s your plan from the beginning.”

 

Victor shook his head.  “I’ll close up.”

 

“And wake sleeping beauty over there?  Are you sure you don’t want to lock the door and watch him sleep the whole night in the store?”

 

Victor rolled his eyes.  “Go home, Christophe.”

 

“Good night, Victor.  Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

 

Victor heard the door close and lock.  He couldn’t take his eyes off Yuuri.  He had the tell-tale signs of an overstressed student.  The hair looked like it hadn’t been washed in a couple of days, clumping in thick strands over his brow.  There were dark circles under his eyes and his face had a relaxed quality about it that came from relief of the exhausting nature of his day.  Basically, it would be very unwelcome to wake him up. 

 

Victor hunched down so he was at eye level with Yuuri and prodded his arm gently.  When that failed to rouse him, he did so more vigorously.  Before he knew it, Yuuri woke with a start, shooting upright with his glasses crooked on his nose.  He hastily adjusted them so that he could see better, only to gasp. 

 

Victor stepped back.  “We’re closing, Yuuri.”

 

Yuuri glanced around, seeming to notice how the lights have dimmed and that the chairs were put away.    “I-I’m so sorry,” he sputtered.  “I-I didn’t know.  I really didn’t mean to.”

 

Victor chuckled.  “It’s alright.  You’re not the first to fall asleep.  But students usually fall asleep on our very comfy couches by the window.  You’re going to get an awful feeling in your neck the next morning.  But you looked so peaceful, I didn’t want to wake you.”

 

Yuuri got up and began to back his things.  Stacking his books and shoved them in his knapsack.  He shut the lid of his laptop and collected the pens and highlighters that littered the table.  In record time he had emptied the table of his work, put on his coat and slung on his knapsack.  He bolted to the door and found it locked. 

 

“No need to be in such a hurry, Yuuri,” said Victor. 

 

Yuuri halted and looked at Victor.  It might have been the first time Yuuri looked Victor in the eye since they first might.  Victor couldn’t help but think his eyes were very attractive when they widened like that.   Victor got just close enough to Yuuri to admire them for just a moment before he got his keys to unlock the door. 

 

 “Wow.  You must be very out of it,” said Victor to break the silence.  “The stress does funny things to the mind. Believe me, I’ve seen it.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“Don’t be.  Do you need a ride home?”

 

“No.  I live close by on campus.”

 

“Well, get home safely,” said Victor.  He strode over to the door and unlocked it for Yuuri.  Yuuri gave him a half smile and murmured goodbye.

 

Victor shut the rest of the lights, grabbed his bag and headed home shortly after.  It felt like the first real conversation he had with Yuuri.   The poor man had more pressing thoughts on his mind than some random barista trying to ask him out.  His heart felt a little lighter in knowing that Yuuri’s reasons for ignoring his advances weren’t completely because he thought Victor was a hideous person. 

* * *

 

 

The next day and the days after, Victor wasn’t so sure of that anymore.  He hadn’t seen Yuuri at all.  Yuuri coming into the shop was reliable and sure as the sun rising or Makkachin wagging his tail by the front door every night.

 

With his chin on his hands, he hunched over the counter looking forlornly across the room at the table Yuuri usually sat.  There was a couple of chatty women sitting there instead and it felt wrong that they should be so carelessly laughing when it should be Yuuri sitting there, being very serious with his books. 

 

“Uh oh,” said Chris.  “I know that look.”

 

“What?  Is the old man being disgusting again?” barked Yuri Plisetsky, tearing his eyes away from the mugs he was washing to look pointedly at Victor. “He should stop being such a creep about the fat loser.”

 

Victor had recently hired Yuri to do extra duty during weekends.  It was a favour to Yakov, an old friend of his father’s.  Victor thanked his father profusely when it made was clear that he would only be there on weekends because Victor didn’t know he would do if he had to deal with his random vitriol everyday.  It would give him extra wrinkles on his forehead and that would not do!

 

“You haven’t even seen him before,” said Victor. 

 

“I don’t need to see him to know that he’s fat.”

 

Ah, angry boy logic.  Anger was such a useless emotion.  But then again, teenagers loved to hang onto useless things.  He remembered crying over outgrowing a particularly fantastic pair of patent leather red wing-tipped shoes when he was fifteen.  Victor recognized now that growth spurts were important since they allowed him to tower over loud Yuri for insulting his beloved.   The boy was smart enough to shut his mouth, if his wide, quivering green eyes were anything to go by. 

 

“I don’t want you hear you insulting customers when there are other customers around,” said Victor.  He kept his voice deceptively airy while letting his unwavering stare convey that he would not be fucked with.  “It sends a very bad message, don’t you agree?”

 

“I’m not scared of you,” said Yuri, who didn’t manage to sound convincing. 

 

“That’s very good to know.  Being fearless is an admirable quality.  You will need it when your father finds out that you’ve been wasting precious work time by talking to that older boy that came in yesterday at 4pm and that you left early at 5 when you know you’re supposed to be here until 6.  I’ve been careless about it yesterday but I won’t be next time.”

 

“You leave Otabek out of this,” he snarled. 

 

Victor laughed.  “Then you should get to work.”

 

Yuri scowled when he took his mop to the men’s washroom for its cleaning.

 

“Blessed peace,” said Victor.  “Tell me, Christophe were you ever this angry when you were fifteen?”

 

“No.  I had ways to channel my frustrated energies,” drawled Chris.  “Which brings me to my question.  How did it go with Yuuri?  I haven’t seen him all week.”

 

“He spoke to me in complete and long sentences.  I’m in love,” sighed Victor.  “Did I ever tell you he has such a shy, pure voice?  I could easily fall asleep to it every night.”

 

 “Did you manage to get his number?”

 

“No, it didn’t get that far.  He was very exhausted.  I might have startled him.  He looks very handsome even when he’s startled.  His cheeks turn such a lovely shade of pink.  You don’t think I scared him off that night, do you?”

 

“I wouldn’t think too much of it.  It’s exam time and it looked like that guy had a lot on his mind that night.”

 

Victor sighed.  “You’re right.  I’ll have to wait and see.”

* * *

 

The holidays meant fewer students cluttering the small round tables with their books and laptops.  It meant more casual customers with their large collection of shopping bags, sipping their overpriced Christmas drinks.  Victor made sure to memorize every holiday drink recipe properly.  From the Peppermint chocolate drinks to the eggnog latte, he did each drink speedily with a charming smile.  It helped keep his mind off a certain customer he missed.  While Yuri stopped making those gagging noises at him in favour of having a semi-permanent scowl on his face.  It was like a full-time job keeping that scowling face.  It only left his face when he was absorbed in a task or when he thought no one was looking.  Victor and the new girl, Mila, secretly thought this was adorable. 

 

“Are we open on Christmas this year?” asked Mila.

 

Victor put his finger to his lips, thinking.  “Oh, don’t worry about that.  I won’t make you work on your holiday.  I can handle the store myself.”

 

Chris frowned.  “Your father is making you work here on Christmas day?”

 

Victor laughed.  “My father can’t make me do anything I don’t want to.  But I’m sure he’ll be delighted.  He always worried that my charms and my looks has made me lazy and stupid.  I won’t have to worry him this Christmas.”

 

Mila and Chris looked at each other.  Victor pretended not to notice as he continued to clean the espresso machine.  The warm towel soothed him and distracted him from the worried looks he was undoubtedly receiving. 

 

“What will you be doing, Chris?” asked Victor.

 

 “Have dinner with my little brother and his fiancé,” replied Chris.  “But I am having a Christmas party next week.  You should come.   Maybe you’ll meet someone to distract you from that little crush of yours.”

 

“Victor has a crush?” asked Mila.

 

Chris nodded.  “You haven’t met him yet.  From what we can tell, he’s a student at the local university.  Sits at that corner right there, right where Victor can watch him when he has nothing better to do.”

 

“Is he cute?”

 

“Victor seems to think so.  Victor, how handsome is Yuuri?”

 

Why can’t Chris leave him be about Yuuri?  He wanted to say as much but Victor didn’t think showing annoyance was very becoming.  Instead he asked, “when’s your Christmas party?”

 

“Next Saturday.  Close early and come.  I promise to invite some handsome friends to make it worth your while.”

 

The espresso machine was gleaming and he could see his reflection on the surface.  His hair fell charmingly across his eyes and his smile was impeccable.  One day, he’ll feel like the man he sees in his reflection.  But today is not the day but no one has to know that. 

 

He turned around and winked.  “Then I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> This sat on my computer since February and I've been slowly adding to it and editing it for months. It's mostly finished and it needs a bit more editing before it's posted completely. 
> 
> It's nice to finally put it out and I hope you enjoyed it.


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